So what is TikTok?
TikTok (not to be confused with the hit 2009 pop song from Kesha) is a fast-growing social media platform that centres around users creating short videos that they share with their fans/followers. The more entertaining the video, the further the natural reach and engagement.
The social network was born as Musical.ly which launched in 2014 until the Beijing tech company, ByteDance, purchased the app for a reported $1 billion.
Now that you’re all caught up, let’s talk about the users, shall we?
Gen Z
Aged between 16 and 24, this age group is spending a whopping average of 7 hours a day online. eMarketer has reported that Gen Z customers are showing unique online behaviours, such as the consumption of short-form media which is being shared on social messaging apps such as WhatsApp.
In addition, all user-uploaded content is required to be exclusively video, resulting in most uploads being short-form entertainment videos that are easily sharable thanks to the fantastic in-app tools linked to messaging services. This places a big tick (pun intended) against the two main online behaviours of Gen Z users – sharable via ‘dark social networks’ and captivating content that keeps them online for 7 hours a day! It’s no surprise that TikTok experienced massive growth in 201
Two ways to effectively market on TikTok
Influencer marketing is one of the best ways to market on TikTok. You don’t have to worry about building specific audiences for each video ad because the TikTok personality you choose has already done that for you.
Firstly, it’s about finding the right influencer for your brand. It’s not always about who has the most followers or who has thousands of likes per video, if that person doesn’t fit with the brand, the audience will not be engaged and it’s a waste of money and potential. Don’t forget micro-influencers either, micro-influencers will have a smaller audience, but their fans/followers are much more likely to engage with sponsored brand content over that of a macro-influencer. Sites such as Fanbytes and Neoreach will help you find the right influencer.
Secondly, don’t be afraid to get creative with your content strategy. TikTok is a visual platform and you’re trying to connect with a younger audience. Run in-feed native videos organically that drive users to your TikTok channel. These could also be served as paid ads but remember to keep them brief – around 9 seconds or so is ideal. Creating a hashtag challenge, such as the #YourDayIn9Seconds is also the perfect way to spark conversation and encourage users to create content that is easily shareable.
Conclusion
You can bet that here at The PHA Group we will be looking for new and exciting ways to drive creative social media strategies and campaigns via TikTok. The new social media platform on the block isn’t going anywhere anytime soon and it’s going to be the future of social media whether you’re down with the Gen Z crowd or not.
Get in touch with us to find out how our social media experts can help launch or create awarnress of your brand via TikTok and other social channels.